Filling my Raised boxes?

[vfem]

IF you live in the south or south east at least I have learned when you buy "Top Soil' it is NOT the same as it was in the north east. In the southern states they call it LOME (or LOAM) and its a hardy dark soil with compost matter mixed into it. Its a DEEP DEEP DEEP brown almost black soil, its filled with nutrients and I've grown some of the most gorgeous of shrubs and ground cover at my mom's from it. We go to a landscaping place here that charges $35 a truck load and that's all I need to fill my raised bed veggie garden we're getting prepped for the spring.

(Just so everyone knows... my yard is horrible! I've had to get out all my gardening for years at my mom's house. This is my first year doing anything for myself. )

 

[Frugal Que]

Resurrecting this thread. Filling beds can get really expensive but Katz was right on the mark.

My beds are two feet deep (easy on the back) and I put things in this order: (of course you can put items in any order that you like)

1. coffee grounds in first (to encourage worms to come)
2. newspaper/cardboard/junk mail/excess paper
3. kitchen compost materials
4. leaves (thick pile of leaves)

We live in Portland Oregon so we get lots of rain and this rain keeps the moisture content at a good balance to break everything down.

Use whatever you have available to you. If possible, do not buy dirt. Just don't do it (if that is option). The best gardening requires some patience and good planning.

In the spring, I just add compost from our compost pile to the top of the beds and plant directly in it. The compost is well decomposed by that point.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

I used the SFG ( Square Foot Gardening) for a compost recipe and some of my own ideas. First, I put down newspaper as a weed barrier. I did not use any newspapers that had colors.

Second, I put down hardware cloth and in a 4 by 4 bed that is not expensive. I then put together the following recipe for compost.

1/3 Vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss and the last third is the use of five different bags/types of composts such as, steer manure (can also be chicken or horse), worm castings, mushroom and one other type soil compost.

Because I was by myself, and had no help, I did the mixing differently and I mix this compost in the bed itself. I used the pictures in the book to see how it should look. I have had great success with it and I will use this method again.

With this method there is no need to add any fertilizers. According to the book after you have removed the plant and are ready to replant, you just replenish the one square with your already mixed mixture. This I will be testing.
I am also in the process of creating my own compost pile with help from the chickens. :mow

 

[desertgirl]

I have a raised bed garden-so if I encorporate chicken poo etc. now directly into the soil from last year (with good results)it will be safe for planting in a few months? I don't want to burn the roots on chicken poo...

 

[lesa]

In a few months it should be perfect! I put the poop on my gardens in winter and till in at springtime. Works great!

 

[desertgirl]

That is ...sooooo awesome! I am so excited to do this today!!!


Thanks!

 

[Frugal Que]

I do the same with my chicken poop. Just add it in the winter directly to my raised beds and by spring they are ready.

As winter progresses, I just keep adding things because it goes down so quickly. By spring, it is a really good plant medium for all your veggies and flowers.